Naughty cabaret shows at a Lower East Side nightclub

Noteworthy for: This theater of the fantastic was brought to you by Serge Becker, the nightlife impresario with the golden touch, who is also to thank for both La Esquina and London's La Bodega Negra.

When it comes to rumors, shocking behavior, code violations and debauchery, The Box wins. The city’s most notorious joint is a self-ordained candle-holder for a bygone era when New York was truly ‘anything goes’.

Behind an unassuming façade, this burlesque club hosts a carnival of salacious performers on its vaudevillian-themed stage. Here, modesty and mystery are charming anachronisms as avant garde, sexually ambiguous performers insert all manner of things where the sun don't shine and seemingly sweet girls from the Midwest wear elephant trunks and get naked.

Walk up the Persian-rugged staircase to the mezzanine where a New Orleans–style balustrade cradles small nooks with tables and chairs - perfect for a voyeur’s view of the madness.